ValueNotes Healthcare Capsule India – October 2014

EDITOR'S CHOICESweden launches healthcare platform in India through the Swedish Life Science and Healthcare PlatformThe platform will have major Swedish healthcare firms like Molnlycke Health Care, Bactiguard and Hemocue on board, and will provide opportunities in the areas of research, policy, innovations and implementing best practices by both the countries.Read more >>

Columbia Asia to invest USD 150 mln to expand hospital chain in India and Southeast AsiaThe move will be part of its USD 150 million investment over a 4 year period. The company is pursuing a strategy of creating a cluster of hospitals in large urban areas. Read more >>

Apollo Hospitals to invest INR 20.33 bln to open 12 hospitals in three years in IndiaThe plan will also result in the addition of 2,175 beds over the next three years. Most of the hospitals will be super-speciality facilities while one of them will be multi-speciality and another a reach hospital. Read more >>

Jaypee Group to invest INR 6000 mln and open four multi-specialty hospitals by end of 2016The hospitals will be located in Sahibabad, Anoopshahr, Bulandshahr and Agra and result in the addition of 1,200 beds. Its present tertiary care multi-speciality facility in Noida will also be scaled up. Read more >>

Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) extended for four yearsAustralia has also pledged AUD 20 million for the initiative. The two countries will collaborate in the areas of preventive healthcare, trauma care, geriatric medicine, diabetes research and mental illnesses. Read more >>

Apollo Hospitals to acquire 320 retail pharmacy stores of Hetero Med Solutions for INR 1460 mlnThe stores operate in Tamil Nadu, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh. The deal will strengthen Apollo Pharmacy’s position in the organised pharmacy market and will help increase the sales of the company’s private label products. Read more >>

AV Birla Group finalising JV with South Africa-based Momentum Group to enter India's health insurance sector AV Birla will hold a 74% stake in the proposed venture, while Momentum will hold the remaining 26%. The Indian health insurance market is estimated to grow by 25% in the next five years. Read more >>

Sterling Hospital to form JV with India Home Health Care for the home healthcare services segment The 70:30 JV will be named Asilia Home Healthcare and will service Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; starting with Ahmedabad and then Vadodara. Read more >>

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

Indian pharma sector continues to be a challenge for new entrepreneursCostly machinery, stringent regulatory norms and price controls act as major deterrent(s?) for new entrepreneurs from venturing into the sector, including contract manufacturing. Read more >>

India to introduce universal health insurance schemeThe insurance will be free for those below the poverty line and premium will be kept low for others. Every person will be able to access tertiary healthcare services through this scheme. Read more >>

West Bengal leads the country by issuing health insurance to over 6 mln familiesIt is also the only state to have given smart cards in the name of the lady heading the family. The government is additionally starting 13 mother and child hubs in different district hospitals. Read more >>

India withdraws regulator's power to cap prices of non-essential medicinesHowever, the regulator’s price cap, implemented on more than 100 non-essential drugs in July 2014, will remain in place. The decision is expected to affect the profit margins of many drugmakers like Sanofi, Pfizer, etc. Read more >>